Hot air and stirling engines

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Hi there Hopper, I couldn't get in, the screen came up 403 Forbidden, I e-mailed Darryl, asking about it, the site has been invaded, and Darryl is reparing it, and it should be back working in a day or so. It's not the first time, last time it went down we lost quite a bit of information, and we changed (I think its called)server to try and over come the problem. If you are a regular on the site you will have seen the advertisers etc., we get. Because of the time that I'm on site, I'm usually the one who reports them, we did have an invasion a few months ago, and in about 20 miniutes 3 1/2 pages got filled up.

Fingers crossed, it will be running soon.

Don't know if Mark still looks in (he started the thread), his house was damaged in te earthquake 2 yrs ago. Ian S C

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Thanks Ian. I have only been a member on the Stirlingengineforum for a short time, but yes did notice a few spam posts on there. I hope they can save it intact. I was working my way through the treasure trove of info on there while I am working on designing and building a 6" flywheel gamma engine, about 1" stroke and bore on the power cyl. Also enjoyed the videos etc on there about the Kockums submarine stirlings, having worked on the Australian version of those subs.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Yes Hopper (as in Roo?), there is some good stuff there, I don't know why these idiots want to muck up a web site like that, maybe because its fairly small makes it easy. This thread was one of the first on this web site, the chap Mark that started it lives in Christchurch, about 40K away from my place, his workshop got knocked out in the earthquake, I'v had very little contact with him over the last couple of years. I imagine he still has his engines, but his house will be more of a worry, it could be another 4 or 5 years before it gets fixed. I'v just built a wee alternator fot a Stuart S9 steam engine, and now I want to try it on one of my stirling engines, on the S9 it produces about 5 watts, at 80 volts. Ian S C

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

No, Hopper as in Grasshopper. (My fine physique).

I see the site is back up today. Sounds like a marathon job it was too. Probably just some malware that got spread out to all and sundry on April 1. Ha freaking ha.

Will be interested to hear what the genny puts out on the Stirling.

I'm in Queensland so only have to worry about cyclones and floods – nearly lost the shed roof in the last bit of a blow we had — but at least dont have to worry about earthquakes. Sounds bloody awful.

Keep up the hot air!

Hopper

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Queensland! could be a cane toad. My sister had a friend from Townsville over the day of the Feb 22 Earth Quake in 2011, the friend had just been through a cyclone, but was a bit freaked out by the EQ, not long after getting home you lot had a bit of a shake, but she didn't feel it, although half of Queensland did.

Must have a look at the S E forum.

In the next day or so I'll be doing some testing, I'v been working today on the remains of a Sturmy Archer hub dynamo, I did try it a few years ago as a wind turbine. I'll be able to gear it down quite a bit, I think the rated voltage is produced at about 120rpm, and most of my engines produce there max power at around 600rpm. Ian S C

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

The forum site is still closed here. Ian S C

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

All better,it appears that there were two attacks on the Stirling Engine Forum site, but its up and running, with very little loss of information, we'll just keep our fingers crossed and hope it doesn't happen again, but I suppose its a risk all sites have to watch out for. Ian S C

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Ian, re the SA hub dyno., once fitted one with a 2 leg prop about 3 feet across. In the right wind this would light a 3 ft flourescent tube direct wired. Don't know how, but thought itt might be of interest.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Gordon, yes your right they have a good out put, all one has to do is arrainge a constant wind source,my prop was/is a 3 blade 6ft dia one, the blades carved from 100 mm plastic pipe. Ian S C

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Gee, I havent seen a hub dyno in about 30 years though. I didnt know there were any still kicking around. Brilliant idea for a small genny though, as I remember they offered little or no resistance to rotation. Had one on my first bicycle, and old Raleigh, complete witht the SA three speed on the rear.

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

The hub dynos don't have much resistance, until you switch the lights on. Thinking about the high voltage generated ,wonder if it might be something to do with the lamp choke ? Maybe acting as a transformer.

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Hybrid ( PM ) stepper motors are good too.. very high flux ..

any "dynamo" will produce voltage spikes aof at times suprisingly high volatges ( depands a bit on rpm )…think magnetos… power op is limited by resistance (load) and internal wiring resistance…( and shaft input of course).. and how fast you are willing to spin the thing..( more like motors than you would imagine).. so

subject to max rpm of spining bits…

output voltage is limited by rate of change of magnetic flux through windings..

which in turn is limited by rpm and number of poles..

current out is limited bu winding type ( wire size and turns) and in practice more turns mean more volts..less amps ( cross section of windings is "constant" for given size machine so one turn of 1000a wire or 1000 turns of 1a wire.. yes I know fine wire gains on packing but loeses on insulation)….

have fun

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Just a wee note to say that the Stirling Engine Forum is open, although we are suffering another raid(fills about two pages), hope we get sorted in the next day or so. Ian S C

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

We have got the S E Forum sorted out, It got missed because the site owner, Daryl Boyd, Boydhouse landed up in bed with the flu, he's coming right. The spamm raid was from China. Ian S C

[Mark Smith 3Participant @marksmith3]

Hi All, it's been fiveyears since the Canterbury earth quakes and I am finally settled in a new(well, not new) home. My house was severly damaged and had to be rebuilt. My son decided to buy my rebuilt house and I have bought a 1970s house that suits me. but, to get to the point I now have a workshop again with an old but perfect Portass lathe, drill press, milling machine, and a metal cutting band saw…happy as.

As many of you know I built engines for my Grandsons and their cousin. But while testing the engine I built for my youngest Grandson I had a terrible accident. I thought the flame had gone out in the alcohol burner and refuelled it. As you know the alcahol flame is sometimes invisible and that happened to me. As I refuelled the whole thing ignited and seriously burnt my left hand, which took many weeks of healing. All is well now, but a lesson learnt.

As a result I withdrew the engines I had made to redesign them to run on Mamod fuel tablets instead. I designed a firebox that works well. I did not want the same thing to happen to one of them.

I look foreward to your comments or condemnation for my stupidity, but hopefully I can rejoin the thread with things I am up to.

Ian, now I am settled I would like to come out see you and catch up.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Welcome back Mark, I only use meths for the little motors, with about 5 to 10 ml for a run, I'm sticking to LPG for the bigger ones, it seems about as safe as I can get. Have you still got your old motors?

Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 30/12/2015 09:07:56

[Mark Smith 3Participant @marksmith3]

No, not now, I chucked a lot it out in despair, but to be fair those early engines either did not work well or so poorly made I was a bit ashamed of them. I try to do much better work now.

I have a small mill and just learning how to drill accurately positioned holes in a cylinder flange. Real engineers will laugh as they would have learnt that very early on, but we have to start somewhere.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Mark, if you want to come out, just send PM, I,m usually home, but may be off wandering the village on my bike.

Here's a wee one with a 3/6" bore, and 1/2" stroke.

Ian S C

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

It appears that the Stirling Engine Forum has crashed again, is that 3 times or 4, hope it's only tempory.

Ian S C

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

The Stirling Engine Forum is up and running again.

Ian S C

[Mark Smith 3Participant @marksmith3]

I want to upload a pic of my latest engine. Forgotten how

Edited By Mark Smith 3 on 18/03/2017 01:14:10

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Hi mark, good to see you back making. Go to top green line on the page, 4th from left click on albums/camera, follow instructions, reduce photos to a suitable size, some of mine are 800 x 600, but most are 640 x 480.

Ian S C

[Mark Smith 3Participant @marksmith3]

Thanks Ian I’ll do that

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

I'll be watching, see what you have been up to in your new workshop. have you still got the old Barns lathe?

Ian S C

[Mark Smith 3Participant @marksmith3]

No I have a Portass about the size of a myford 10. It’s old but in good condition. Chucks are new. I also have a small mill good for what I need

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